Local anaesthetics are a large group of compounds which include several classes of compounds. Physiologically active natural or synthetic chemicals or biologicals and their derivatives act at/in cell membranes and/or specific receptor molecules at/in cell membranes in vivo or in vitro. Local anesthetics are described in De-Paula, E. And S. Schreier (1996) Braz. J. Med. Res. 29:877-894 and Ritchie, J. M. and N. M. Greene "Local Anesthetics", Chapter 15 302-321, which are both incorporated herein by reference, describe local anesthetics and their uses.
In addition, the use of local anesthetics in combination with nucleic acid molecules for in vivo gene transfer generally and in particular for protective and therapeutic vaccination protocols as well as gene therapy and antisense protocols is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,972 issued on Jan. 14, 1997 to Weiner et al. and in PCT application PCT/US94/00899, which are both incorporated herein by reference. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/045,122 filed Apr. 30, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference.